Oasis of Co-existence

As we gaze all around Israel, here in the Middle East, we see nothing but chaos and deadly conflict between sovereign Arab states on one side and Arab leaders butchering their own people on the other side. Suddenly, it seems as if all of this primal Islamic rage just popped out of nowhere. Everyday another report exposes the barbaric behavior of our neighbors irrespective and totally unrelated to Israel.

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Arab nations have succeeded in distracting world attention from their own internal problems focusing international attention exclusively on Israel through the prism of the never ending conflict with the Palestinian Arabs. From a public relations perspective, they have succeeded all along the line, convincingly portraying Israel as an illegitimate state, blurring the distinction between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism having no right even to defend herself against the Islamic terror from within and from outside of Israel’s borders. Despite the Arab nations lagging behind technologically, unable to even feed their own people without foreign assistance or even manufacture a world class bicycle, they have invested enormous amounts of resources at the expense of their own people to manufacture the “big lie” vis-à-vis the Palestinian Arabs and have successfully elevated a false and bias narrative convincing the world that we are modern day occupiers of the land of Israel

To the surprise of many senior foreign journalists stationed in Israel, the sea of bedlam and anarchy just beyond Israel’s borders has brought to light an interesting development that might otherwise be considered unworthy news of being reported. It seems that the greater the violence and bloodshed just over the border, the greater the significance and meaning of the relative cordial relations and cooperation between Jews and Arabs here in Judea and Samaria. Interestingly, while the whole Middle East has exploded into armed conflict along religious and feudal lines, the level of co-existence of Jews and Palestinian Arabs has grown significantly approaching the relatively good relations between Jews and Arabs in the period that preceded the Oslo Agreement.

During the past month, in conjunction with the Government Press Office lead by Nitzan Chenand the Office of the Chief Foreign Envoy of Judea and Samaria lead by Dani Dayan, over 60 foreign journalists stationed in Israel have toured industrial parks and factories in Judea and Samaria, witnessing how Jews and Palestinian Arabs work side by side on assembly lines, both fulfilling positions in management as well as line workers, both entering the factories through the same entrance, both using the same dining hall, both having the same worker compensation rights and paid vacation, both enjoying the benefits of Israel’s relative economic prosperity. With over 20,000 Palestinian Arabs working every day in Jewish communities and industrial parks located in Judea and Samaria, there can be no denying that labels of occupation and apartheid become devoid of any meaning and truth. Almost immediately these journalists understand that much of what they knew and have been reporting stands in dark contrast to the true narrative and complex reality that one encounters here in Judea and Samaria. Almost immediately they understand that international accusations and attempts to present Israel as an apartheid based society are totally false only to encounter the very opposite, an oasis of co-existence. They also understand that the situation in not without ups and downs but can certainly be depicted as a success story, especially in light of what is transpiring just beyond Israel’s borders.

The journalists are presented with personal acquaintances of “settlers” working alongside Palestinian Arabs and heart-to-heart talks with Palestinian Arabs who have only good things to report about their Jewish co-workers. Suddenly the self-imposed cataracts have been removed, the settlers don’t have horns, they look like human beings, they speak the language of human beings, suddenly the natural inclination to report on the settlers through the prism of politics exclusively becomes uncomfortable after seeing that the reality is much more complex, and much more positive.

Being thrust into an oasis of co-existence in Judea and Samaria was not something that was easily digested by these journalists. A good example of the dissonance that they experienced was convincingly portrayed by a Palestinian Arab worker they met. He told them that if the boycott of settler products becomes widespread, factories in Judea and Samaria will close down or slim down operations. The most immediate effect of this will be that Palestinian Arab workers being sent home and joining the ranks of the unemployed. The journalist were surprised to hear that the Palestinian Authority, despite the billions of dollars provided by the Western nations, has no unemployment insurance or other benefits to assist the local Arab population. So who picks up the slack, agents of Hamas operating under the pretense of social welfare workers asking only for one thing in return for their help, support Hamas. The journalists understood that the boycott initiated by the Palestinian Authority was self-defeating, detrimental to the well-being of the Palestinian Arab workers who have opted to work alongside Israelis, and comparable to shooting themselves in the foot.

What is transpiring today in Judea and Samaria is the real narrative of Judea and Samaria, co-existence, growing from the ground up and making a positive impact undeniable by even the most gifted enemies of the State of Israel. Palestinian Arabs and Jewish “settlers” working side by side in factories, in stores, wineries and restaurants throughout Judea and Samaria, an oasis of co-existence in a sea of conflict tearing apart the Middle East.